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Science

These are some scientific (computer science, physics, logic,...) articles and programs I have written. One of my main interests is visualization and other visual stuff and there are several programs from this field available for download.


Motion Planning Using Random Networks

This article gives a short overview of methods used for planning the movements of abstract objects (could be a robot for instance) with several degrees of freedom, followed by a complete discussion of a probabilistic roadmap-based approach. The algorithm described is well-suitable to many motion planning problems in (mostly) static environments. The article describes the algorithm in general terms and also gives a discussion of implementation details and possible optimizations.
You can view the article as postscript or html!

The Probabilistic Roadmap Planner

The Probabilistic Roadmap Planner is a probability-based method for planning the movements of abstract objects with several degrees of freedom. The article describes the algorithm and provides a visualization in the form of a Java application and applet that is well-suited for use as a teaching material.

Try it NOW!!

Domino On Acid - Natural Deduction Visualised As A Game Of Dominoes (Java)

Superficially this is a colorful (see screenshot) variant of dominoes with weird tiles, a simple matching game to play during lunch breaks. But hidden behind this façade are the inference rules of natural deduction, so that every solved level represents a proof of a tautology. This program demonstrates that logical reasoning can be done without any language or symbols, relying purely on the brain's visual capabilities.

Visit the Domino On Acid homepage!

If you're interested in the scientific background, you can read the article about the game.
If you have have a Java-enabled browser you can play the game online.
Alternatively you can download the game (with Java source code, licensed under the GPL) for offline use.

Evolution Simulator

Evolve is a small Pascal program (source and DOS .EXE included) that simulates evolution in a group of simulated humans. It is a simple demonstration of the principle behind genetic algorithms.

Download NOW! (5K)

MDS - Molecular Dynamics Simulator (DOS)

A fantastic program to simulate the movement of particles under the influence of Lennard Jones, gravity, Coulomb and quadratic potential. The program was designed to be fun to use without making compromises in the physical simulation part.
For more info check the English manual or the German manual.

Download NOW! (185K)

Turing Machine Simulator (DOS)

A cute and colorful program that simulates a turing machine. Just unzip and run. Like MDS this program is supposed to be fun even if you don't have the scientific background.

Download NOW! (60K)


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